Jamar Taylor CB Boise State #5

Ht: 5’11”
Wt: 192

[divider top=”0″ style=”solid”] [draftace membership]

Size/Athleticism: Height is only average, but he’s strong and physical for his size.

Coverage: Does a nice job turning his head to track the ball in the air. He doesn’t get caught up simply mirroring his man and knows when he needs to try to become the receiver. He has impressive upper body strength which allows him to take on bigger receivers in press coverage. He seems to catch some guys offguard with his physical style because he doesn’t initially look like the type who will challenge you at the line of scrimmage. Does a great job staying low in his backpedal. He has quick footwork and limits his false steps. Speed allows him to recover quickly when he does bite on a move. Biggest downfall is being overaggressive and trusting his skills too much. Gets caught peaking at the quarterback too often and he’ll lose a receiver over the top at times when loses focus and hesitates for a second.

Ball skills: Consistently tracks the ball in the air and puts himself in position to play the ball. He’s much more physical than you’d expect when battling for a jump ball, but his size is limited so he will get boxed out at times.

Run support: Lack of size limits what he’s capable of, but he puts forth a strong effort. He goes straight in for the tackle and doesn’t shy away from contract. Unlike many smaller corners who like to swipe at the legs of the ball carrier, Taylor will line him up and take the ball carrier head-on. He also fights though traffic and tries to be a real difference maker.

Intangibles: Limited experience against top competition. Opponents stay away from his side of the field the past two seasons.

Durability: Redshirted 2009 season due to a knee injury. Missed time with a stress fracture in leg in 2011.

Comments: Taylor may be slightly undersized, but he makes up for his with his physical play. He isn’t quite at this level, but he reminds me of Joe Haden. Like Haden, he never backs down from a tough assignment despite frequently giving up size and strength in the matchup. He’s a scrappy player who will always give you his best effort. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts to the NFL, because he wasn’t tested often at Boise State. But he definitely has the physical tools to take his game to the next level. At worst, he’s a strong nickel corner. [/draftace membership]